gymnasts bring home title

Buford’s athletes put forth championship effort in ‘incredible meet’

rom high-flying vaults to complex floor routines, daring bar maneuvers and inch-perfect balance beam flips, Buford High School’s gymnasts showed up and showed out at the GHSA state gymnastics championships.

learned from him.”

“I would just like to tell all the coaches that I can’t thank them enough for my success in wrestling and, more importantly, life,” Henley said. “They have played a big role in how I’ve matured.”

Both Thompson and Henley plan on taking the many lessons learned from the sport and adapt those lessons to make them successful in the next chapter of their lives. Henley would like to become a Delta pilot, while Thompson plans to pursue a business degree and become an entrepreneur.

Senior Wrestlers: Abe Gonzalez, Tyler Henley, Ben Martin and Talen Thompson

The team took first place in the AAAAAAAAAAAAA competition on Friday, April 22, at the Buford Arena, with the highest overall team score. Its gymnasts also took first or second place finishes in each individual event.

“The meet was incredible,” said head coach Tyler Ann Smith. “I am really proud of how well the girls performed on each apparatus, but even more proud of how they supported other gymnasts in the arena.” some recognition should go to the community of supporters that showed up to cheer on the Buford gymnasts.

According to Smith, Buford’s overall score of 113.9 was also the highest team score in any classification.

Although the gymnasts compete individually, it takes the efforts of each nominated team member to earn such a strong overall score. The state meet allows every team to put forward four competitors in each of the four events.

For the uneven bars, Buford sent Abby Hamilton (9.1), Kendall Rockwell (9.1), Jenae Larrazabal (9.4) and Marissa Ashton (9.7), who placed first.

Competing on the balance beam were Kendall Rockwell (9.05), Jillian Hynds (9.25), Lily Black (9.325) and Marissa Ashton (9.825), who earned second place.

To perform their floor routines, Buford tapped Olivia Su (9.1), Marissa Ashton (9.65), who placed fourth, Lily Black (9.7), who placed third, and Bellarae Newby (9.75), who placed second.

“The support we received from the community was crucial,” she said. “I saw some of the nerves setting in right before we went to compete in our first event … then the girls heard the crowd and saw the support in the stands, and you could see a weight being lifted from them.”

“Bella (Bonner), our senior … in terms of kind of stepping in as a last-year leader, she’s done a really good job,”

On vault, the coaches called up Hailey Aycock (9.05), Vidya Bharadwaj (9.1), Lily Black (9.3) and Marissa Ashton (9.8), who finished in first place.

And while Smith is incredibly proud of the way her team performed, she also felt that

Smith also genuinely admires the sportsmanship and character her team exhibited during the state meet.

— Amanda Allen, Director of Gymnastics

“For a while, Buford was placing 1-23, but then a gymnast from Carrollton had an amazing routine pushing everyone down a spot,” Smith said. “Without prompting, the entire team went to her to tell her how great she did. It was an amazing night!”

Fall Sports Seniors And Accomplishments

Emilee Akins — Football Cheer; Dawson Andrew — Football (Duke University) All-Region Honorable Mention; Averykate Barton — Football Cheer; Isaiah Bond — Football (University of Alabama) Preseason 247 state ranking at No. 23, Gwinnett Daily Post Super Six, TD Club of Gwinnett WR of the Year, Region Offensive Player of the Year, GACA All-State; Alex Carefoot — Volleyball; Camryn Carlton — Volleyball, AVCA All-American Watch List; CJ Clinkscales — Football (Boston College) Preseason 247 state ranking at No. 99, Region Athlete of the Year; Abby Cochran — Softball; Luke Crossett — Cross Country; Hysan Dalton — Football; Ashton Daniels — Football (Stanford University)

Preseason 247 state ranking at No. 93, All-Region Second Team Offense, GACA All-State; Marina Espy — Football Cheer; Jackson Favors — Football (Mercer University) All-Region First Team Offense, GACA All-State; Rachael Fox — Football Cheer; Ryland Gandy — Football (University of Pittsburgh)

Preseason 247 state ranking at No. 70, All-Region First Team Defense; Abe Gonzalez — Football; Lexi Guckert — Football Cheer; Olivia Haag — Softball (Truett McConnell University) All-Region First Team; Will Harkness — Football: TD Club of Gwinnett Scholar Athlete, National Merit Scholar Finalist; Mikayla Hayden — Volleyball (University of California — Berkeley) GDP Power

6, AVCA All-American Watch List, GDP

All-County First Team; Hunter Hays — Softball; Makayla Holton — Football Cheer; Abbie Hopper — Football Cheer; Maya Jones — Football Cheer; Whitney Lee — Competition Cheer/Football Cheer; Leah Madsen — Cross Country; Taylor Malvin — Softball (University of Mississippi) All-Region First Team, GDP

All-County First Team; Alejandro Mata — Football (Jackson State University)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Preseason

All-State, GHSFD GA Power 100, TD Club of Gwinnett Kicker of the Year, All-Region First Team Offense; Made- line Matos — Cross Country; Joseph Miller — Football (Mercer University); Sho Mitchell — Football: All-Region Honorable Mention; Mason Moore — Football Cheer; Japhet Mubenga — Football (Murray State University); Nate Norys — Football (Lenoir-Rhyne University) North Gwinnett Voice Player of the Week, All-Region First Team Defense; Tobi Olawole — Football (United States Military Academy West Point)

All-Region Second Team Offense; Pacheco — Football; Football Cheer; Eli Parks

All-Region Honorable Mention; Payne — Football (Kansas State Uni versity) Preseason 247 state ranking at No. 90, All-Region First Team Defense; Davis Peek — Football: All-Region

First Team Offense; Kiana Polk — Volleyball (Coppin State University) AVCA All-Amer ican Watch List, GDP

All-County Second Team; Jake Pope — Football (University of Alabama)

Preseason 247 state ranking at No. 37, AJC

Preseason All-State, Recruit Georgia Preseason All-State, GHSFD GA Power Top 100, GDP

Power Six, All-Region First Team Defense, GACA

All-State; Peyton Rinker Football; Viktor Ruiz — Football; Zach Salo — Football; Sanders — Football Cheer; Smith — Football (University of Colora do) NGV Player of the Week, All-Region

First Team Defense; Malik Spencer

— Football (Michigan State University)

Preseason 247 state ranking at No. 56, Recruit Georgia All-State, GHSFD GA Power 100, NGV Player of the Week, All-Region First Team Defense, GACA All-State; Jenevive Talabar — Softball; Alex Vasquez — Softball; Victor Venn — Football (University of Colorado)

Preseason 247 state ranking at No. 77, GHSFD GA Power 100, All-Region

Second Team Offense, GACA All-State; Je’Marcus White — Football (Hampden-Sydney College); River Wilson

— Football (United States Naval Academy) All-Region Honorable Mention; Josiah Wyatt — Football (Appalachian State University) All-Region First Team Defense, GACA All-State

Winter Sports Seniors And Accomplishments

Emilee Akins — Basketball Cheer/ Game Day Cheer/Bass Fishing; Marina qualifier; Mason Moore — Basketball Cheer/Game Day Cheer; Eli Murray — Basketball: All-County Academic Team; Derick Myers — Wrestling; Tatum Ozment — Basketball: All-County Academic Team, All-Region; Ashlyn Page — Basketball Cheer/Game Day Cheer; Tamori Plantin — Basketball (Western Carolina University) All-Region; Emma Sanders — Basketball Cheer; tling: Third place and sixth place at state, four-year starter, won over 100 career matches

Spring Sports Seniors And Accomplishments

Caleb Allen — Baseball; Adrian Alvarez — Soccer; Sebastian Amaya — Soccer; Dawson Andrew — Lacrosse: Gwinnett Daily Post All-County the Month; Isaiah Bond — Track and Field: Region Champion (100M and 200M), state qualifier (100M), state record holder (400M relay team), All-County (100M), All-County (400M relay team), GDP All-County First Team; Bella Bonner — Gymnastics; Carley Borgelt — Soccer (Georgia Southern University) All-Region Player of the Year, All-Region First Team, Gwinnett at state; Parker Fulginiti — Baseball; Ryland Gandy — Track and Field; Jackson Gaspard — Baseball (Georgia Institute of Technology) 2022 PG

Preseason Southeast All-Region Honorable Mention, All-County First Team; Grayson Gilbert — Tennis; Sam Haynes — Golf: Area Champions, seventh place at state, All-County, GDP Super Six; Kylee Kangas — Lacrosse (Lee University) Georgia DiVarsity All-Star

Ashton Kehren — Baseball (East Georgia State College); Carson — Baseball: Gwinnett Dugout Club March Player of the Month; Dean — Golf (North Greenville University) Region Player of the Year, GDP Super Six, GDP All-County First Team; — Baseball (Vanderbilt University) 2021 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year, 2022 PG Preseason three time state placer (third, third, fourth), won over 100 career matches; Makayla Holton — Basketball Cheer/ Game Day Cheer; Abbie Hopper — Basketball Cheer/Game Day Cheer; Nick Isaac — Basketball; Maya Jones — Basketball Cheer/Game Day Cheer; Whitney Lee — Game Day Cheer; Ben Martin — Wrestling: fifth place at county, third at region, state

Avery Shoemaker — Bass Fishing; Samuel Shoemaker — Bass Fishing; Aiden Smith — Swimming (Piedmont University); Alahn Sumler — Basketball (Northern Kentucky University) All-Region, All-County First Team, Gwinnett Daily Post All-County Third Team, All-State; Jaylon Taylor — Basketball: All-Region; Talen Thompson — Wres-

First Team; Victoria Bahr — Soccer (Valdosta State University) All-Region First Team, All-County First Team, GDP All-County Second Team; Zachary Bailey — Baseball; Brant Baughcum

— Baseball (Georgia Institute of Technology) North Gwinnett Voice Player of the Week, All-County Second Team, Gwinnett Dugout Club April Player of

Cleveland — Baseball; CJ Clinkscales

— Track and Field: state qualifier (long jump), All-County (800M relay team);

Abby Cochran — Golf; Hayden Crane — Soccer; Marigrace Crossett — Tennis: All-Region First Team; Emma Danley

— Soccer (Georgia College and State University) All-County Scholar Athlete; Brian Diaz — Golf; Taylor Edwards — Golf: Area Champions, seventh place

Southeast All-Region First Team, All-County Pitcher of the Year, ITG Baseball Player of the Year, 2022 MLB Draft prospect, most dominant pitcher in PG history; Masdon Mandall — Soccer; Ben Martin — Lacrosse: All-County Leadership Award; Kaden Martin — Baseball (University of Miami) 2022 PG Preseason Southeast All-Region First Team, NGV Player of the Week; Kylie — Tennis: All-Region First Team, GDP All-County Third Team; Ian — Soccer; Andrew Mc— Baseball (Mercer University); — Soccer (George Mason University) All-County First Team, GDP All-County Second Team; Caleb Mott — Soccer; Landon Nease — Baseball; Andrew Nixon — Baseball (Spartanburg Methodist College); Nate Norys — Track and Field: State qualifier (shot put); Tobi Olawole — Track and Field: Region champion (400M), state qualifier (200M and 400M), state record holder (400M relay team), All-County (200M and 400M), All-County (400M relay team); Jordyn Olivo

— Lacrosse (Kennesaw State University) All-County Second Team, Georgia DiVarsity All-Star Selection; Ashlyn Page — Golf; Eli Parks — Baseball: Gwinnett Dugout Club March Player of the Month; Victor Payne — Track and Field: State qualifier (110 hurdles and 300 hurdles), All-County (800M relay team), All-County (110 hurdles and 300 hurdles), GDP All-County Second Team (300 hurdles); Davis Peek — Lacrosse (Mercer University) GDP Super Six, Gwinnett Defense Player of the Year, Georgia DiVarsity All-Star Selection, Georgia DiVarsity Student-Athlete of the Year, All-State First Team, U.S. Lacrosse All-American, GDP Lacrosse Player of the Year; Carson Perry — Lacrosse (Lynn University) All-County Second Team, GDP All-County Second Team; Jackson Perry — Baseball; Jackson Rhodes — Lacrosse (University of Mary Washington) Gwinnett Attack Player of the Year, Georgia DiVarsity All-Star Selection; Kaden Roberts — Golf: Area Champions, seventh place at state; Ashton Rubin — Soccer; Zack Salo — Lacrosse (Lenoir-Rhyne University) GDP Super Six, All-County First Team, GDP All-County First Team; Tyler Sisson — Baseball; Riley Stanford — Baseball (Georgia Institute of Technology) All-County First Team; Lucas Stevenson — Soccer: GDP All-County Third Team; Kris Telenta — Golf: All-County, GDP Super Six, state individual Top 15, GDP All-County First Team; Avery Treadwell — Lacrosse: All-County Leadership Award; Victor Venn — Track and Field: State record holder (400M relay team), All-County (800M relay team), All-County (400M relay team); Parker Walsh — Baseball (Lafayette College) Regional Positive Athlete Award, Gwinnett Dugout Club April Player of the Month, Scott McIntyre Award, NGV Player of the Week; Heather West — Lacrosse; Josiah Wyatt — Track and Field: State qualifier (discus), third place at state (discus), All-County Honorable Mention (discus), GDP All-County First Team (discus); Stan Zagrodnik — Baseball (Wofford College) NGV Player of the Week, All-County First Team